New NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 2 · Class 8 Social Science · Part 2 · Chapter 8: Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries
This chapter shows how Indian culture endured, grew richer and mixed with new currents in a turbulent age. It covers bhakti and Sufism, music, painting, gardens, women's lives, education, literature, science, architecture and daily life from the 13th to the 17th centuries.
From the Class 8 Social Science Short Notes, made as per the new NCERT book Exploring Society: India and Beyond · Pages 153–166 of the book.
Key points
- Indian culture is among the most ancient and is still alive, because it adopted the best of outside currents while keeping its roots.
- Three common patterns: continuation of traditional practices, patronage from rulers of various backgrounds, and participation by all sections of society.
- Bhakti saints like Kabir, Ravidas, Guru Nanak, Mirabai and Purandaradasa spoke of love, equality and oneness in local languages.
- Sufism is a path of Islam focused on devotion and an inner search for god; bhakti and Sufi traditions often overlapped.
- Dhrupad rose under Raja Mansingh Tomar; Tansen was one of Akbar's nine ratnas; Amīr Khusro is credited with developing the qawwālī.
- Rajput painting followed Indian tradition, while Mughal miniature painting was shaped by Persian influences.
- The Mughals used the Persian charbagh garden design, e.g. Nishat Bagh, Srinagar.
- Razia Sultan was the only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate; Nur Jahan had coins minted in her name.
- Learning continued in gurukulas, maṭhas and madrasās; the destruction of Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā was an immense loss.
- Dara Shikoh translated 52 Upaniṣhads into Persian; Urdu developed in the Ganga-Yamuna plains.
- Madhava of the Kerala School gave series expansions and π as an infinite series; Nilakantha Somayaji's 1500 model came before Copernicus (1543).
- Daily life saw two-way exchange in food (samosa, jalebi) and clothing (jama, angrakha).
Key terms
- Culture: The shared way of life of a group of people, often passed down through generations.
- Bhakti mārga: The path of devotion, one of the paths to mokṣha, which did not require rituals or priests.
- Sufism: A path of Islam that focuses on devotion and an inner, personal search for god.
- Zikr: Remembrance of God by repeated chanting or silent recitation of divine names.
- Atelier: An artist's studio; in Akbar's atelier, different artists did lines, colours and finishing.
- Purdah: Persian for curtain or veil; it became more widespread in certain regions of north India.
- Hindavi: An early version of the Hindi-Urdu language with words from Persian and Arabic.
- Pūrvamaryade: Kannada for following earlier practices of dharma and social norms, followed by Vijayanagara rulers.
Diagrams to learn
- Table: three common patterns (13th–17th centuries)
- Flowchart: two streams of Indian classical music
- Table: Rajput painting vs Mughal miniature painting
- Fig 8.5 Charbagh plan: a garden in four parts
- Flowchart: change in north India (women's role)
- Table: developments in science and technology
- Fig 8.7 Nilakantha's model (1500)
- Table: regional architectural developments
- Timeline of the chapter
- The destruction of Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā in invasions of the late 12th century was an immense cultural loss to humanity.
- Temples that had been destroyed were rebuilt and sacred vigrahas reinstated, the best sign of resilience.
- Carnatic music grew independently, largely unaffected by Persian and Arabic influence.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Rajput and Mughal painting?
Rajput painting followed Indian tradition with traditional Hindu themes, while Mughal miniature painting was shaped by Persian influences and showed secular themes like landscapes, court scenes and portraits. Over time the two styles exchanged ideas.
Who developed the qawwali?
Amīr Khusro, an Indo-Persian Sufi poet and singer of the mid-13th to early 14th century, is credited with developing the qawwālī by fusing Indian, Persian and Arabic singing traditions.
What did the Kerala School contribute to mathematics?
Madhava gave a series expansion for trigonometric functions and the exact value of π as an infinite series, both world firsts. His followers formed the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics.
